How work gets done has changed fundamentally in recent decades, with a growing number of people working independently, outside of organizations in a style of work quite different from that assumed by many organizational behavior theories. To remain relevant, our research on individual work behaviors and the capabilities that enable them must also adapt to this new world of work, the so-called “gig economy.” We first describe the predictable challenges that individuals confront when working in this manner, including remaining viable, staying organized, maintaining identity, sustaining relationships, and coping emotionally. We then articulate a research agenda that pushes our field to focus on the specific capabilities and behaviors that enable people to manage these challenges effectively so as to survive or thrive in this new world of work. Foregrounding individual agency, we articulate the work and relational behaviors necessary for such thriving, and the cognitive and emotional capabilities that undergird them.

在最近的几十年中，工作的完成方式发生了根本变化，越来越多的人在组织外部独立工作，其工作方式与许多组织行为理论所假定的完全不同。为了保持相关性，我们对个人工作行为及其能力的研究也必须适应这种新的工作世界，即所谓的“零工经济”。我们首先描述个人在以这种方式工作时面临的可预测的挑战，包括保持生存能力，保持组织有序，保持身份认同，维持人际关系以及应对情感。然后，我们阐明一个研究议程，以推动我们的领域专注于使人们能够有效应对这些挑战，以便在这个新的工作世界中生存或发展的特定能力和行为。